Beech A23 accident near Pinnacle, North Carolina, June 1, 2021
On June 1, 2021 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1964 Beech A23, registered N8780M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pinnacle, North Carolina. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s mismanagement of the available fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2021 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Pinnacle, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23, built 1964 · all A23s on the register
- Registration
- N8780M · registry record · serial M-564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor departed on a local training flight. After about 39 minutes, the engine lost total power. Flight track information indicated that the airplane continued to descend, and the last flight track target showed the airplane descending through 1,075 ft mean sea level (msl) at a groundspeed of 64 knots. The elevation at the accident site was about 1,000 ft. The airplane impacted a grass field and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Review of the airplane’s flight log indicated that the airplane flew 2.8 hours since it was most recently fueled to capacity (58.8 gallons usable) one week before the accident, and that the airplane departed on the accident flight with the left-wing tank about 2/3 full and the right-wing tank about 1/2 full. The fuel consumption indicated by the flight log was consistent with about 14 gallons per hour. Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed that the left main fuel tank was breached; the right fuel tank, which remained intact, contained about 1 pint of fuel. The fuel selector was in the right tank position. Portions of the fuel system contained a trace amount of fuel, and no fuel was found in the fuel flow divider. When tested, the electric boost pump functioned normally. Other than the absence of fuel, no anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation when the fuel supply in the right tank was exhausted. The procedure for a loss of engine power in the pilot operating handbook included switching the fuel tanks; had the flight instructor switched the fuel selector from the right to the left-wing tank, it is likely that engine power would have been restored.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- 452341 during 452
- 551093 during descent - normal
- 551090 during descent - normal
- 452190 during 452
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 12 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, ASE, APLN, none
- Flight time: 606.2 hours in all; 8.4 in this make and model; 493.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 8, 2020
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,643.4 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, March 19, 2021; 23.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-346 SERIES (piston); 3,643 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: INT Winston Salem NC at 8:41 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 75°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from MWK, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMWK 012015Z AUTO 20004KT 10SM SCT049 24/13 A3025 RMK AO2 T02410125
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA21FA237.